(Council Bluffs, IA) – The Community Foundation for Western Iowa is pleased to announce that the Iowa West Foundation has generously committed a 1-to-1 match of $50,000 for donations made to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund.
The fund at the Community Foundation for Western Iowa is a philanthropic response to the increasing needs throughout Pottawattamie County due to the catastrophic tornadoes that tore through the region on April 26.
Donna Dostal, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, said the Iowa West matching funds will provide relief to individuals impacted in Pottawattamie County.
In Pottawattamie County, officials estimate approximately 300 residential homes and businesses were either partially damaged or fully destroyed. In Minden specifically, officials currently assess 48 homes as destroyed, displacing resident occupancy.
Donations to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund will be distributed to nonprofit organizations, city and county governmental organizations, and church groups working with the communities affected by the heartbreaking loss and destruction.
Dostal said the City of Minden now has a new fund.
To donate to the Relief Fund, visit: www.givewesterniowa.org.
Additionally, SHARE Iowa – an initiative of the Community Foundation – is a resource to access information on how you can assist our communities through relief efforts, such as volunteer opportunities and in-kind donations. The SHARE Iowa team continues to work directly with Pottawattamie County Emergency Management and Pottawattamie County officials on approved volunteer opportunities and donation needs. The Relief Resource website will be updated regularly and can be accessed by visiting: www.sharegoodiowa.org/emergencyrelief
For those directly impacted by the April 26 tornadoes, it is vital that property owners report storm related damage on the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency website, pcema-ia.org, as local and state officials explore opportunities for federal funding.
